With registrations now live for the CrossFit Open, talks of the 2023 CrossFit Games season are in full swing! You’ll have likely heard what we are doing here at SCFIT for the Open, but you might be wondering about the bigger picture, and what to expect over the course of the next few months in the lead up to the CrossFit Games.
CrossFit HQ have published a glimpse of how the competitive stages are going to look, including a few changes to last year’s qualifying process, as well as an overview of key dates, so we’re bringing you the lowdown!
But before we get stuck into what we know about the 2023 Games season so far, let’s re-wind for a moment, and take it back to basics:
What actually are The CrossFit Games?
The CrossFit Games are an annual athletic competition, owned and run by CrossFit, LLC. Athletes compete in a series of events at the Games, which may be various standard CrossFit workouts consisting of metabolic conditioning exercises (think ergs, running – what we tend to call ‘cardio’ on the whiteboard!) weightlifting, and gymnastics movements, as well as a handful of activities from other sports such as swimming, cycling, and strongman. The events generally are not revealed before the Games, and although the format of some of the events will be very familiar to the athletes, many of the exact details regarding number of workouts, movement combinations, length of workouts and even location have often been kept secret right up until they enter the competition floor.
The variety, volume and intensity, not to mention unexpected twists to workouts, challenge the athletes both physically and mentally.
Winners of the CrossFit Games earn cash prizes, and the title of “Fittest on Earth.” The competition started in 2007 and has been held every year since, normally in the summer.
So what do we know so far about the 2023 Season?
The Open
As previous years, the season will begin with the CrossFit Open: stage one, which anyone and everyone who wishes to can register for and take part in. Last year, the Open consisted of 3 workouts across 3 weeks (with one released each work, to be completed within 4 days of release). The format is expected to be the same this year, with registration for the Open LIVE already! The first workout will commence on the 16th February, with the next two released on the following two weekends.
The workouts will be released with different variations depending on the athlete category, including the classic ‘RX and Scaled’ versions, as well as various age category groups for teens and masters, and various adaptive categories. Participants will be able to take part across the globe, submitting scores online in the hopes to make the cut. Scroll down to find out what we’ll be doing at SCFIT!
The top 10% of individuals in each category and the top 25% of teams will advance to the online Quarter Finals.
Quarter Finals
As last year, the quarter finals will take place online. Athletes will take place in a series of workouts spread over a weekend, submitting scores and accompanying videos online in the hopes to advance to the next round. These workouts typically feature some higher skill gymnastics, heavier loads and more complex movements than those featured in the Open. Quarter finals are set to take place from the middle of March until the start of April, depending on the category. 60 men, 60 women, and 40 teams will be invited to compete at North America East, North America West, and the Europe Semifinal. 30 men, 30 women, and 20 teams will be invited to compete at each of the Semifinals in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America.
Semi Finals
Unlike last year, this year athletes will know when they register for the Open which Semifinal competition they may qualify for should they reach that stage. Another key change to this year’s process is that CrossFit will be standardising all programmeming for the Semi Final events. Aside from the age-group categories which will remain online, semi finals will take place in person as per the 2022 season. They make for a fantastic and exciting opportunity for budding and seasoned athletes alike, and a fantastic spectacle for CrossFit fans to attend and support across the world!
The Games
The top 40 men and 40 women from around the world will come together to compete for the title of Fittest on Earth at the 2023 Nobull CrossFit Games, to take place in the first week of August 2023.
What does this mean for us?
We’re excited to announce that, as previous years, we will be launching the ‘Friday Night Lights’ spectacle each Friday for the 3 weeks of the CrossFit Open as part of the SCFIT Intramural Open!
It’s a brilliant way for members to join on the CrossFit Games Open action, whilst being part of the buzzing SCFIT community. Members can sign up to take part at SCFIT, joining one of three member-super-teams where they can earn point by getting involved and supporting one another!
Each Friday, members can then book onto a particular heat for that, where they would carry out their chosen version of the Open workout. They would be assigned a judge (a coach or fellow SCFIT member) to count their reps and check their standards, and importantly – cheer them on! For those who wished to submit scores online, they were welcome to do so, where they would be verified by a member of the SCFIT staff before submission. For those who were just there to have fun – awesome! They could still join in on the workout, and enjoy a brilliantly buzzing atmosphere not dissimilar to one of our famous Throwdowns!
Members: check your emails for the link to register your interest now.
So there we have it – what we know so far, with a brief overview of dates, numbers and format! Whether competitive CrossFit is your thing or not, it’s an enormously fun way to get involved in the SCFIT and wider CrossFit community. Whether you plan on having a stab at the Open workouts yourself for the first time, or maybe you’re hoping to qualify for the Quarters or Semis, or perhaps you just want to get in on the action and hope to come down to Friday Night Lights and cheer on some fellow members – there’s something for everyone. Open 2023 here we come!
Looking for a new, welcoming and inclusive gym? Book yourself a free No Sweat Intro to find out what the fuss is all about! We’d love to meet you.